Transport of nano‐sized colloidal particles in a dilute lyotropic lamellar phase of a nonionic surfactant has been studied by AC electrophoretic light scattering. The frequency dispersion of complex electrophoretic mobility shows two relaxation processes at about 1kHz (HF relaxation) and a few Hz (LF relaxation). These relaxations are originated from the hindrance of diffusion of particles in characteristic local structures of lamellar phase. The HF relaxation is found to relate the local deformation of membranes induced by particles. The LF one relates the confinement of a particle within persistence length of lamellar orientation. © 2004 American Institute of Physics